How does residential phone line rental work?

Hi guys,

Please forgive the long and boring story leading up to my question..

We're moving into our new flat on the 16th of January, and, hoping to minimize the time we're without phone and internet, I'm trying to get connection organised NOW so it's ready soon after we move in.

We currently use Virgin (formerly TeleWest) for phone and broadband. When we moved in, we were told there was only a Telewest line into the flat, so that's what we went with. I've been happy with their service, so I phoned to ask them if they could connect us up in the new flat with the same package. I was told that the services I currently have are not available at the new flat, but if I could pay BT for line rental, they could get us hooked up once the BT line is active.

So today I phoned BT, and they showed there isn't currently a BT line in the flat - so connection will cost us an additional £122 and will require someone to come out and physically install the line. 

Now I'm confused. It was my impression that there were only two options - cable or BT, neither of which seem to be the supplier. So how do I find out who is currently supplying the phone line to the flat? I would like to avoid having a new line installed if possible, for obvious reasons. The Estate Agent doesn't know, and is being funny about asking the seller.

Thanks!

k

Hi,

We had this when we moved into our first flat in London.  There was a phone installed, but there was no dial tone, and nobody knew who installed it, who it belonged to, who provided the service, blah, blah, blah.  All we knew for certain was BT was sure it wasn't theirs, and if we wanted a BT line we'd have to pay for the installation.

I realize this doesn't help at all.  The shorter answer would've been "We were in your shoes once, and we couldn't find any way to identify an unidentified phone line."

Carl

In my last flat (in Edinburgh) I had my phone service through my broadband supplier, Tiscali.  It wasn't cable... it came through the phone line.  I didn't pay line rental to BT... i only paid Tiscali.
Maybe it's something like that?

In my last flat (in Edinburgh) I had my phone service through my broadband supplier, Tiscali.  It wasn't cable... it came through the phone line.  I didn't pay line rental to BT... i only paid Tiscali.
Maybe it's something like that?

Ah ok.. that makes sense, actually. I was assuming BT and Telewest/Virgin are the only two line rental options. I guess I thought the other companies (ie Sky/Tiscali/etc) required BT lines.

Hm, I wonder if this is going to mean I will need to call all the companies until I find which one has supplied the line?

Carl, it's good to know someone else has experienced phone-related WTF!

Ok, none of the other companies are owning up to have a line in that flat. Sky and the others require a BT line, and Tiscali isn't owning up to having a line either. This is just plain stupid!

 

I guess I'm just going to have to insist the estate agent finds out for us.

I guess I'm just going to have to insist the estate agent finds out for us.

I would definitely find out who "owns the hardware" if there is any in the flat.

Are you buying or letting DarkSquid?  If you're buying it may be too late to work any financial finagling on this, however if renting you may be able to get your landlord to go halves or something to get it worked out in your favour. 

Good luck!

Ah ok.. that makes sense, actually. I was assuming BT and Telewest/Virgin are the only two line rental options. I guess I thought the other companies (ie Sky/Tiscali/etc) required BT lines.

They do, at least they require BT connected lines. That line was almost certainly a former BT line which has become untied from BT ownership due to a previous user choosing a contract where no BT line rental was payable. (Local loop unbundling).

Now, this is different and something I'm sure we'll run into once in the UK. In America, it's almost annoying how everbody knows who's line it is through a central record and can tell you immediately.

Again, not helpful, I know. Sorry, I was just musing and feeling your aggravation.

ETA: Although, my suspicious nature does make me wonder if BT doesn't sometimes simply claim it isn't there line, so as to collect for a new one each time there's a tenant turnover. That would make them the poster child for establishing a central database.

BT ALWAYS say there is a £122 charge with a change of tenant.  This is a lie.  Unless the line has been disconnected from the exchange there should be no charge to reconnect.  Argue a bit and you may well get them to change their view on this.

Vicky

BT ALWAYS say there is a £122 charge with a change of tenant.  This is a lie.  Unless the line has been disconnected from the exchange there should be no charge to reconnect.  Argue a bit and you may well get them to change their view on this.

Vicky

That's true... make sure that BT are very clear on the fact that there is a line in the house, connected to the exchange.  It just needs to be activated!

Thanks, guys. It's all a bit clearer now, I think. I spoke to a guy at the Post Office phone&broadband last night (who knew?), and he seems to think (as contrex mentioned) that there is a BT line there that must have been disconnected by a third party supplier.

Tiscali is offering quite a good deal (although they want £99 to connect the line), and I might phone BT back and say I'm going to go with Tiscali unless they can reconnect me for free.

The only thing that worries me is that BT said it wasn't a matter of just plugging in my phone, but that they needed to send an engineer out to physically connect the line. Which of course means the morning off work on top of the £122. 

The line in the house goes out to a box in the street (a green metal cabinet) or maybe a chamber under the sidewalk, and it is possible if the line has been disused for some while that the engineer will need to physically reconnect it.

darksquid - you can ALWAYS haggle with phone/broadband companies.  Don't take the first thing they offer you & don't accept ridiculous reconnection charges.  Tell them that if they want your business, they'll connect it for free.

Also - what was wrong with Virgin?  Their CABLE service does NOT require a BT line nor BT line rental.  If they want you to get a BT line, then you will be getting BROADBAND, which is not the same thing as cable.  Cable is a good way to avoid paying line rental.  Call them again and ask if they can install cable in your flat.  If they absolutely can't, then you've got no choice but to get your BT line re-connected.

The line in the house goes out to a box in the street (a green metal cabinet) or maybe a chamber under the sidewalk, and it is possible if the line has been disused for some while that the engineer will need to physically reconnect it.

The weird thing is that someone is currently in the flat, and I remember seeing a phone when we went round. So I don't think it's been disused - the current occupant is getting phone service from someone!

The weird thing is that someone is currently in the flat, and I remember seeing a phone when we went round. So I don't think it's been disused - the current occupant is getting phone service from someone!

I'd just go knock on the door and ask them...couldn't hurt.